All of you know how to focus your camera, but more of you need to focus on your business and just do a better job of setting your priorities. It's not an easy task. Day to day it represents the biggest challenge, even for a seasoned vet (sounds more professional than "old fart") like me. So I'm sharing the things I'm trying to do myself, in the hopes that maybe something hits on an idea for you as well.

You don't have to react to every distraction. There are people who will come into your life, often dozens of times each day, without "knocking". They just appear in an email or phone call and want instant gratification. You can't please everybody and years ago Bill Cosby wrote: "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

Make a list. Personally, I'm back to hand-written lists. The app on my iPhone or my computer isn't enough. Writing it out long hand forces me to retain it longer in my memory. Here's where I wish I had all the brain cells I lost at concerts in the 70's! A written list helps me stay focused and I actually cross off each item as I finish it, giving me these great little bursts of accomplishment.

Establish priorities! This is the hardest of all. It's impossible some times trying to isolate the most important aspects of your business on a daily basis, but if you knock off one really important thing every day it makes a difference.

Long term vs short term: Everything in your business has a value. Some items are just a flash in the pan, others require the skills of a slow-cooker. Balance your day with projects that are both.

Make decisions!I just wrote a post about this last week. The old rule I was given years ago with my first management job was, "Handle every piece of paper only once!" Well, we're not shuffling paper like we used to, but we are shuffling ideas, communications and projects. You can't walk down the middle of the road without getting "squished like a grape". (Check out this one minute classic from the original Karate Kid - it's still a great movie to watch!)

And most important of all, take time to step back. That could mean literally moving ten feet away from your computer screen or taking a walk around the block or just taking a day off. You have to recognize when you're about to crash and burn and take the steps to avoid losing perspective.

I'm not sure anybody has all the answers. For me personally, the biggest challenge of the day, every day, is staying focused. I hate it when things get backed up and at the end of the day I feel like I've got nothing but a collection of unfinished projects. The most important thing is to remember, you're only one person. You can't do it all - only your best and for anyone who decides that's not good enough it's time to move them out of your thought process. Oprah gets the credit for this one:

"Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment!"

"Why?"

Check out"Why?" one of the most popular features on the SCU Blog.It's a very simple concept - one image, one artist and one short sound byte. Each artist shares what makes the image one of their most favorite. There were fifty different artists featured in 2016 and we anticipate doubling that in 2017. Click on the link above and you can scroll through all of the episodes to date.

Authors

Skip Cohen is President of SCU, founder of Marketing Essentials International and past president of Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI. He's been an active participant in the photographic industry since joining Hasselblad USA in 1987 as president. He has co-authored six books on photography and actively supports dozens of projects each year involving photographic education.

Special Guests

SCU is proud to bring you some of the most recognized photographers in the industry. You'll also meet a few not so well known, but with terrific ideas to help you build a stronger business model.

Scott Bourne

Scott Bourne has retired, but as the first Dean of Marketing at SCU, a professional photographer and educator his support was critical to the success and growth of SCU. From time to time you'll see a reference to one of his Marketing Monday posts from the SCU or GoingPro archives.